Wringer



J. PICKARD Oct. 25, 1960 WRINGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 31, 1956 J. PICKARD WRINGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 3l. 1956 hun r 5 f w m c n y K mw, n C A s Q l d Nh Nl, w f W Sv Fm. @be ,..w MM\ f ww m\ u .Nw um w l/r I.I\ E n Wm. MM.

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aired States WRINGER rind oct. 31, 195s, ser. No. 619,555

Claims. (cl. `ss-zsz) This invention relates to a wringer, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a wringer having a compact, easily operated pressure-applying and reset mechanism which will permit adequate separation of the rolls when pressure is released, which is simply constructed from the minimum number of component parts and which is trouble-free and reliable in operation.

According to this invention, a pair of parallel bars are arranged along opposite sides of a wringer, and means are controlled by such bars for both urging the Wringer rolls into pressure engagement and releasing the rolls from the pressure engagement.

A further feature of the invention is in the provision of a simple linkage arrangement which provides a forcemultiplication such that pressure is readily applied, but without excessive movement of the actuating bars. rI'he linkage arrangement is additionally so arranged as to permit a substantial separation of the wringer rolls when pressure is released.

This invention, plus other objects, feature and advantages will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a wringer constructed according to the principles of this invention and shown in the position with pressure between the wringer rolls released as in Figure 3, certain parts being illustrated partially in section and the central portion of the device being omitted;

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken substantially along line lI-II of Figure 1 but with the wringer rolls in the hooked up or engaged position, the roll shafts being not shown;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but with pressure between the wringer rolls released; and

Figure 4 is another View similar to Figure 2, but illustrating the wringer released with the rolls separated and with the upper roll raised.

Reference numeral generally designates the wringer which includes a frame defined by a pair of end plates 11 and 12 and a pair of side plates 13 and 14. A bottom roll 15 and a top roll 16 are carried by the frame, the bottom roll 15 having a. shaft 17 journaled by a pair of bearings 18 and 19 affixed to the inside surfaces of the end plates 11 and 12, and the top roll 16 having a shaft 20 journaled by a pair of bearings 21 and 22.

The top roll bearings 21 and 22 are movable vertically toward and away from the lower roll bearings 18 and 19 to move the rolls into and out of pressure engagement. The mechanism for moving both bearings 21 and 22 are substantially the same and only the mechanism for moving the bearing 21 is described in detail.

The bearing 21 is resiliently connected to a yoke 23 of inverted U-shaped configuration including a horizontal bight portion 24 and a pair of downwardly extending leg portions 25 and 26. The resilient connection comprises a U-bolt 27 having leg portions 28 and 29 extend- Patented oet. 2e, ieee ing upwardly through a plate 30, through coiled compression springs 31 and 32, through apertures in the bight portion 24 of the yoke 23, and through openings through the bearing 21, nuts 33 and 34 being threaded on the upper ends of the legs 23 and 29. Accordingly, the yoke 23 may be moved downwardly to exert pressure between the rolls through the coiled compression springs 31 and 32.

To actuate the yoke 23 (and a similar yoke at the other end of the wringer), a pair of bars 35 and 36 are arranged on opposite sides of the wringer in generally parallel relation to the axis of the rolls. One end of the bar 35 is bent downwardly and flattened to define a lever 37 and one end of the bar 36 is similarly turned down and tlattened to deline a lever 38. The other ends of the bars 35 and 36 are similarly formed to define levers for actuation of the bearing 22.

The levers 37 and 38 are respectively pivoted on the wringer frame through pins 39 and 40 extending through the end plate 11. The lower end of the lever 37 is connected by a pin 41 to one end of `a link 42 which is connected at its opposite end to the lever 38 by means of a pin 43. The pin 41 is below the pin 39 while the pin 43 is above the pin 46 so that when one lever is rotated, the other lever will rotate in an opposite direction. Thus when one of the bars 35, 36 is moved iuwardly or outwardly the other bar will also move inwardly or outwardly.

At a point above the axis of the pin 39, the lever 37 is connected through a pin 44 to the upper end of a link 45, the lower end of which is connected through a pin 46 to the upper end of a link 47, the lower end of the link 47 being connected to a pin 4S -to the lower end of the leg '25 of the yoke 23. Similarly, the lever 38 is connected through the pin 49 to a link 50 connected through a pin 51 to a link 52 connected to a pin 53 to the lower end of the leg 26 of the yoke 23.

When pressure is applied between the rolls by a manual swinging of the bars 35 and 36 from either their wringer released position of Figure 3 or their wringer released and rolls parted position of Figure 4 toward their wringer rolls engaged or hooked up position of Figure 2, the mechanism will be moved into the hooked-up or engaged position. in this condition and as shown in Figure 2, the axis of the pin 46 is slightly inside a line through the axis of the pins 44 and 48, the toggle forming links 45 and 47 are nearly in line and yoke 23 is thus pulled down by this nearly straightened toggle to provide a clearance between the lower projecting part of bearing 21 and the top of yoke 23 so that compression springs 31 and 32 react against yoke 23 and push down on 3d and 27, and hence on bearing 21, to apply the normal operating pressure between the rolls. These springs 31 and 32 are compressed in moving them to their Figure 2 positions from their Figure 3 positions. The compressed springs 31 and 32 are held at their upper ends by their engagement with the horizontal portion 24 of the yoke 23 with their lower ends acting through 27 to pull the two rolls together as described above. This upward force exerted on yoke 23 is the reaction of the force resiliently holding the rolls together as described above and tends to move the pin 48 upwardly toward the pin 44. This would tend to move the pin 46 further inwardly. Such motion of pin 46 is prevented by engagement of the shank portion of the pin 46 with an outer surface portion of the leg 25 of the yoke 23. Thus the toggle 45, 47 is held against further collapse and in its locked or slightly past center position.

In the pressure-applied position of Figure 2, accordingly, the position of the pin 46 is iixed relative to the yoke 23. In this position, the axis of the frame or xed supported pin 39 is outside a line through the axes of the pins 44 and 46, so that the upward force exerted onv yoke 23 by the compressed springs through the yoke 23 and link 45 would tend to move the lever 37 in a counterclockwise direction to move the bar 35 outwardly from the wringer. This movement, however, is prevented by engagement of the pin 41 with an outer surface portion of the link 47. Pin 46 also engages against leg 25 as noted above. through lever 47, on pin 46. Pin 46, in turn, pushes on lever 45 with a forcewvhich acts along the length of lever 45 or along the line between the pivots 46 and 44. This force on pivot 44 of the operating lever 37 would tend to swing lever 37 about its xed pivot 39 in a counter-clockwise direction which, as noted above, is prevented by the engagement with pin 41 of lever 37 against the lever 47 .Y T he operation of the linkage between the lever 38 and the yoke 23 is, of course, the same. In this mechanism, a pin 54 carried by the lever 38 engages therlink 52 to limit outward movement of the bar 36.

It will, accordingly, be appreciated that the mechanism is stable in the pressure-applied condition of Figure 2.

To release the wringer, either one of the bars 35, 36

vis actuated to move both bars inwardly to Ia slight extent until the axes of the pins 44, 49 are inside lines through the axes' of pins 46, 48 and through the axes of the pins 51, 53. The upward pressure exerted by the springs 31, 32 through the yoke 23 will then move the pins 46, 51 outwardly andthe levers 37, 38 inwardly to positions as illustratedin Figure 3. The rolls will be out of pressure engagement, and the only pressure exerted between the rolls will be that produced by gravity acting on the top roll and elements connected thereto. Thus the compression of the springs 31 and 32 is released in the positions of the links of Figure 3. Y

Afterrthe mechanism has been moved into its position Yof Figure 3 as described above, the top roll 16 may be lifted upwardly a considerable distance to the position of the linkage as illustrated in Figure 4. This'lifting may be done manually by grasping roll 16 or its end bearings 21 or 22. It will be apparent that when bearings 21 and 22 are lifted manually, starting from the Figure 3 condition, the links 47 and 52 will be swung about their pivots 48 and 53 respectively to further open the toggles 45, 47 and 5G, 52 into the position shown in Figure 4. It will be also noted that this manual lifting and additional opening of the toggles results in an outward swinging of the levers 37 and 38, which swinging, however, is less than that used in going from the positions of Figure 2 to the positions of Figure 3.

To reset the pressure between the rolls from the condition of Figure 4, the top roll 16 or its bearings are released to drop back into the position of Figure 3. Then the bars 35 and 36 (or either of them) are manually swung back into their Figure 2 position. It will thus be noted that this may be done only from the Figure 3 position. In going from the Figure 3 position to the Figure 2 position, the inwardly moving pins 41 and 54 will, after a predetermined travel, engage the links 47 and 52 respectively and swing them inward into the positions as shown in Figure 2.

It will be apparent that a great deal of force-multiplication is obtained, because the distance from the lever support pins 39, 49 to the pins 41, 54 is much less than the distance from the pins 39, 40 to the bars 35, 36. Further, as the pressure-applied position is approached, the inward movement of the pins 46, 51 is substantially greater than the downward movement of the yoke 23.

Accordingly, the bars 35, 36 can be moved inwardly vinstead of a single link, makes it possible to have oonsiderable separationV o f the rolls in the released position,

Thus the upward force on pin 48 acts as will be apparent from an analysis of the action illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.

As previously indicated, the construction at the righthand end of the wn'nger, 'as viewed in Figure 1, is substantially the same as that at the left-hand end described in detail above. It is not, however, necessary to provide a link such as the link 42 between the levers. The lower roll shaft may extend through the end plate 12 to be driven by suitable means. i

A drain plate 55 may be pivotally supported between the lower ends of the end plates 11 and 12 and may carry a device 56 frictionally engaged with the lower roll, to pivot the plate 55 in one Vdirection when the lower roll rotates in one direction, and in the reverse direction when the lower roll rotates in the reverse direction.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be eected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of this invention.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a wringer, a frame, a lower roll journalled in said frame, an upper roll, means supporting said upper roll for movement to a position in parallel interengaged light pressure relation to said lower roll, a yoke coupled to said upper roll, a lever having a manually engageable handle portion thereof and pivoted on said frame for movement about a horizontal axis, a rst link pivoted at one end to said yoke on a rst axis lower than said horizontal axis when said upper roll is in said position, a second link pivoted at one end to said lever on a second axis higher than'said horizontal axis, pivot means connecting the other ends lof said links together, and means on said lever operable on rotation of said lever in one direction to engage one of said links adjacent said pivot means and move the axis of said pivot means from a posiytion on one side of la line through said first and second axes to a position on the other side of said line while applying pressure between said rolls, stop means engaging one of said links to limit said motion of said pivot means in its said pressure applying position and said lever being pivotal in the reverse direction to release `the pressure between said rolls. v

2. In a wringer, la frame, a lower roll journalled in said frame, an upper roll, means supporting said upper roll for movement to a position in parallel interengaged light pressure relation to said lower roll, a yoke coupled to said upper roll, an upright lever pivoted intermediate its ends on said frame for movement about a horizontal axis parallel to the axis of-sad rolls, the upper arm of said lever having handle means thereon a iirst link pivoted at one end to said yoke on a rst axis lower than said horizontal axis when said upper roll is in said position, a second link pivoted at one end to the -lower arm of said lever on a second axis higher than saiclhorizontalV axis, pivot means connecting the other ends of said links together, said lever being swingable between `an outward Wringer released position and an inner wringer engaged position and means on said lever operable on movement of the upper and handle end portion of said lever outwardly from the wringer from its said released to its said engaged position to engage one of said links adjacent said pivot means and move the axis of said pivot means from a position on one side of aline throughrsaid rst and second axes to a position on the other side of said line while applying pressure between saidrrolls,l the upper and handle end portion of said lever, being movable inwardly to swing back yto its released position to release the pressure between said rolls and to permit the manual raising lof said upper roll by said additional swinging of saidlinks.` Y Y u 3. In a wringer, a fname, a lower roll journalled in said frame, an upper roll, means supporting saidY upper roll for movement to a position in parallel interengaged light pressure relation to said lower roll, ayoke coupled to said upper roll, compression spring means in said coupling between said yoke and said upper rollte yieldablytransmit the pressure applied to said upper roll, a lever having a handle thereon and pivoted on said frame for movement about a horizontal axis parallel to the axis of said rolls, a iirst link pivoted at one end to said yoke on a rst axis lower than said horizontal axis when said upper roll is in said position, a second link pivoted at one end to said lever on a second axis higher than said horizontal axis, pivot means connecting the other ends of said links together, and means on said lever operable on movement of the upper end portion of said lever outwardly from the wringer to engage one of said links adjacent said pivot means and move the axis of said pivot means :from a position on one side of aline through said irst and second axes to a position on the other side of said line while applying pressure between said rolls, the upper end portion of said lever being movable inwardly to release the pressure between said rolls, said lever and said links being located on one side of a vertical plane through the axes of said rolls, a second lever having a handle thereon and another pair of links on the other side of said vertical plane connected together into said yoke in symmetrical relation to the rst-mentioned lever and said iirst and second links, and link means connecting said levers together for conjoint movement inwardly or outwardly from the wringer whereby either handle may be used to manually release or apply operating pressure to said rolls.

4. A wringer comprising a frame, an upright pair of resiliently yieldable and rotatable rolls, one of said rolls being journalled in said frame, a roll carrier slidably mounted relative to said frame to permit roll separation and having the other roll journalled therein, a handle extending above said rolls and swingably mounted on said frame, a pair of toggle links pivotally connected between said frame and said roll carrier to actuate it between a released position with said toggle links at a substantial angle therebetween by motion of said toggle links past their in line position to an engaged position of said rolls in which said toggle links are close to being in line, stop means engaging said toggle links to limit their relative rotary travel in either direction, means on said swingable handle to engage and actuate said toggle linkage, said toggle links including means whereby said roll carrier can be additionally and manually moved to separate said rolls by additional relative swinging of said toggle links from their said released position.

5. A quick release and openable wringer comprising an upright frame, an upright pair of resiliently yieldable and rotatable rolls, the lower of said rolls being rotatably journalled in said frame, an upper roll carrier slidably mounted relative to said frame to permit roll separation and having the upper roll rotatably journalled Itherein, a pair of handle levers extending above said rolls and one being swingably mounted ou each side of said frame, two pairs of toggle links, one being pivotally connected between each side of said frame and said roll carrier to actuate it between a released position with said toggle links at a substantial angle therebetween by motion of said toggle links past their in line or center position to an engaged position of said rollers in which said toggle links are close to being in line, link means interconnecting said pairs of toggle links to act in unison, spring means movable with, and acting between, said roll carrier and said toggle links to yieldably bias said rolls into engagement, stop means engaging said toggle links to limit their travel in either direction, means on each of said swingable handles to engage and actuate the corresponding said toggle links toward their said engaged position, said roll carrier and said links being gravity biased towards their said released position, and said toggle links including means whereby said roll carrier can be additionally and manually raised to separate said rolls by additional relative swinging of said toggle links from their said released position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 158,383 Maughlin et al. Jan. 5, 1875 1,699,817 Stocking Jan. 22, 1929 1,817,603 Behan Aug. 4, 1931 1,956,065 Etten Apr. 24, 1934 2,223,860 Schellenberg Dec. 3, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 139,479 Australia Nov. 21, 1950 468,446 Great Britain July 5, 1937 

